next Chesapeake Herb Gathering
DATE TBA
Chesapeake Herb Gathering
Wild Ginger Herbal Center in Bryans Road, Maryland
The Chesapeake Herb Gathering is an annual event
organized by Wild Ginger Herbal Center and KidsHerbalism.com bringing
together inter-generational herbal, land-based, and healing communities to celebrate our stories, our knowledge, our culture and traditions.
Our goal is to help cross pollinate solidarity and community lead solutions in our herbal and healing movement.
Enjoy workshops, plant walks, youth activities, community artwork, artisans market, campfire, and community connections
with local herbalists, teachers, clinicians, healers, botanists, farmers, birthkeepers, medicine makers, rootworkers,
artists, homesteaders, community organizations and much more!
organized by Wild Ginger Herbal Center and KidsHerbalism.com bringing
together inter-generational herbal, land-based, and healing communities to celebrate our stories, our knowledge, our culture and traditions.
Our goal is to help cross pollinate solidarity and community lead solutions in our herbal and healing movement.
Enjoy workshops, plant walks, youth activities, community artwork, artisans market, campfire, and community connections
with local herbalists, teachers, clinicians, healers, botanists, farmers, birthkeepers, medicine makers, rootworkers,
artists, homesteaders, community organizations and much more!
Get Involved:
- Sponsorship - Support this event and promote your work (coming soon)
- Vendor in Our Artisans Market (coming soon)
- Volunteer - at the Chesapeake Herb Gathering (coming soon)
- Apply to Teach (now closed)
Event Details:
- This year the Chesapeake Herb Gathering will be a weekend day event.
- This event is rain or shine, in the event of an emergency, is our back up date.
- Food will be able through out the day on Saturday. will not be available onsite and there are not many local options.
-This is a one day event this year.
- This event is entirely outdoors and rain or shine!
- Carpooling will be essential, please network with a friend/s when you register.
- The grounds are open for arrival from Saturday at 9:00 am until 10 pm.
- Ample porta potty will be available onsite.
Carpooling IS REQUIRED this year! REMEMBER - Carpooling is required, we need folks to network to get rides together, cars entering the event must have more than one person so we are able to accommodate everyone! Please arrange your carpool with your network from the time of registration, we truly appreciate everyone's cooperation on this!
Cost:
Earlybird Registration Ends
*All payments are final, non-refundable and non-transferable.
*In case of hazardous conditions the event will be held virtually.
Location:
1620 Chester Avenue
Bryans Road, Maryland 20616
Packing List:
- Cash for food and artisans market.
- Water bottle, tea/coffee cups.
- Weather appropriate clothing for cool / warm weather, sun protection, hats.
- Your own portable chair and / or blanket for outdoor classes.
Local Resources:
Hotels Can be Found in Waldorf or La Plata, about 30 minutes away.
Amazing hiking at local Piscataway Park (Accokeek Foundation entrance of Piscataway Creek).
Local fresh water swimming at Chapel Hill State Park on the Port Tobacco River.
2023 Teachers & Classes

KIMANI Anku
Herbs & Mocktails- A hands on workshop on your growing your herbs at home to create amazing mocktails for family and friends.
KIMANI Anku is a DMV native who found a love of farming/gardening and producing his own food over twelve years ago through unconventional means. He has been through some seasons and has come out better and stronger. So much better, in fact, that he's turned his passion into a thriving garden coaching service where he teaches folks how to grow food. Through his gardening coaching service Kimani has been able to travel the world and he has taught gardening in places like Uganda and Ethiopia in Africa. He has given countless keynote addresses to local colleges speaking that gardening and farming is a viable career young people and he also has built a celebrity list of new gardeners that he has help start on a gardening journey giving the title of “Global Celebrity Garden Coach” In his free time (some still don't know when he sleeps), he engages in youth programming with The Washington Youth Garden at National Arboretum, KIPP DC, Hillside Work Scholarship Connection and the NAACP Kids Garden in PGC just to name a few and leads his services to fight food insecurity in Prince George's County with PGC’s Food Equity Council. He recently developed a partnership in Prince George’s County specifically with a Chateaux Cocoa, a local farm in the Town of Upper Marlboro, creating programming like beekeeping workshops and kids friendly farming activities and classes. And he also loves creating herbal drinks to give folks something alternative to drink and keep them healthy because that’s the ultimate goal.
Herbs & Mocktails- A hands on workshop on your growing your herbs at home to create amazing mocktails for family and friends.
KIMANI Anku is a DMV native who found a love of farming/gardening and producing his own food over twelve years ago through unconventional means. He has been through some seasons and has come out better and stronger. So much better, in fact, that he's turned his passion into a thriving garden coaching service where he teaches folks how to grow food. Through his gardening coaching service Kimani has been able to travel the world and he has taught gardening in places like Uganda and Ethiopia in Africa. He has given countless keynote addresses to local colleges speaking that gardening and farming is a viable career young people and he also has built a celebrity list of new gardeners that he has help start on a gardening journey giving the title of “Global Celebrity Garden Coach” In his free time (some still don't know when he sleeps), he engages in youth programming with The Washington Youth Garden at National Arboretum, KIPP DC, Hillside Work Scholarship Connection and the NAACP Kids Garden in PGC just to name a few and leads his services to fight food insecurity in Prince George's County with PGC’s Food Equity Council. He recently developed a partnership in Prince George’s County specifically with a Chateaux Cocoa, a local farm in the Town of Upper Marlboro, creating programming like beekeeping workshops and kids friendly farming activities and classes. And he also loves creating herbal drinks to give folks something alternative to drink and keep them healthy because that’s the ultimate goal.

Yum "Docta Yew" Bellomee
Herbs for Vision Support- This class will focus on herbs that may be helpful for the eyesight.
Yuma "Dr. Yew" Bellomee is a Certified Holistic Health Consultant, herbalist, wellness advocate/educator, and musical artist, who has been featured in numerous radio programs, natural hair, health & beauty expos, magazine articles, and community and school programs as a speaker and workshop facilitator on wholistic wellness. He is also the founder of Yew-360 Wholistic Health & Wellness, LLC, and a member of the African Wholistic Health Association (AWHA), and the Collective Health Initiative (CHI) in Washington, DC.
Herbs for Vision Support- This class will focus on herbs that may be helpful for the eyesight.
Yuma "Dr. Yew" Bellomee is a Certified Holistic Health Consultant, herbalist, wellness advocate/educator, and musical artist, who has been featured in numerous radio programs, natural hair, health & beauty expos, magazine articles, and community and school programs as a speaker and workshop facilitator on wholistic wellness. He is also the founder of Yew-360 Wholistic Health & Wellness, LLC, and a member of the African Wholistic Health Association (AWHA), and the Collective Health Initiative (CHI) in Washington, DC.

Alyssa Dennis
Plant Language: Kin-centric Ecology within Herbalism-"If we surrendered to the earth's intelligence we could rise up rooted, like trees" - Rainer Maria Rilke The 17th century French philosopher René Descartes declared that only humans are endowed with "mind," that matter is inert, lifeless & passive, & that animals have neither mind nor reason. This thinking is still pervasive--a pillar in fact of the materialist scientific perspective that has led us down a dark path of Earthly destruction. The scientific world is just starting to test & accept what indigenous peoples around the globe have known since time immemorial: that plant intelligence can be measured in its problem-solving ability. Through their cooperative & adaptive nature, plants have flourished for many millions of years longer than Homo sapien primates & make up more than 80% of Earth's biomass. In this class we will discuss, from an herbalist perspective, what it means to apprentice with the plants themselves to learn their language. Understanding the vocabulary of the vegetative world is as simple as honing our dynamic sensory system to detect their language through taste, texture, color, smell & shape of how each plants exists within an energetically subjective environment. Also encoded within these sensory features are clues to their therapeutic uses which can be defined as "the doctrine of signatures," “the art of signs”, "the green tongue”, etc. It is not just the use of the human brain being used to gather information but your whole being. For example, witnessing that Teasel (Dipsacus sylvestris) prefers to grow in dry places yet their leaves grow around the stem in such a way that creates a cup to hold rain water points so beautifully to the beneficial use of this ally for moistening dry joints. Join this class to delve deeper into some of the historical & contemporary concepts of botanical speech & the multi- sensory wisdom of reading signs & symbols of medicinal plant language.
Alyssa is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, clinical herbalist, wild-crafter & dirt worshipper. She holds a masters degree in herbalism from Arbor Vitae School of Traditional Herbalism. She is the face behind Eclipta Herbal which has been the umbrella under which she runs, her clinical practice, herbal classes & half acre herb farm. She is particularly interested in accepting & integrating the virtues of plant intelligence as a solution to climate change that positively restructures our relationship with the environment; one that is rooted in place-based identity which works to reestablish reciprocity, respect & responsibility for our non-human kin. Her clinical practice is centered around continuing the vibrancy of the peoples medicine that utilizes nutritional therapeutics & the contemporary practices of European, Chinese & Ayurvedic medical traditions. Her other classes include the Herbal Compass: Navigating Healing Throughout the Calendar Wheel, Kitchen Medicine, The Invasive Apothecary, Rising Rooted: Kin-centic Ecology & Plant ID, Herbal Therapeutics for Auto-immune & Herbal Therapeutics for Lyme Disease. Find out more at: https://ecliptaherbal.com/ or follow Alyssa @ecliptaherbal.
Plant Language: Kin-centric Ecology within Herbalism-"If we surrendered to the earth's intelligence we could rise up rooted, like trees" - Rainer Maria Rilke The 17th century French philosopher René Descartes declared that only humans are endowed with "mind," that matter is inert, lifeless & passive, & that animals have neither mind nor reason. This thinking is still pervasive--a pillar in fact of the materialist scientific perspective that has led us down a dark path of Earthly destruction. The scientific world is just starting to test & accept what indigenous peoples around the globe have known since time immemorial: that plant intelligence can be measured in its problem-solving ability. Through their cooperative & adaptive nature, plants have flourished for many millions of years longer than Homo sapien primates & make up more than 80% of Earth's biomass. In this class we will discuss, from an herbalist perspective, what it means to apprentice with the plants themselves to learn their language. Understanding the vocabulary of the vegetative world is as simple as honing our dynamic sensory system to detect their language through taste, texture, color, smell & shape of how each plants exists within an energetically subjective environment. Also encoded within these sensory features are clues to their therapeutic uses which can be defined as "the doctrine of signatures," “the art of signs”, "the green tongue”, etc. It is not just the use of the human brain being used to gather information but your whole being. For example, witnessing that Teasel (Dipsacus sylvestris) prefers to grow in dry places yet their leaves grow around the stem in such a way that creates a cup to hold rain water points so beautifully to the beneficial use of this ally for moistening dry joints. Join this class to delve deeper into some of the historical & contemporary concepts of botanical speech & the multi- sensory wisdom of reading signs & symbols of medicinal plant language.
Alyssa is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, clinical herbalist, wild-crafter & dirt worshipper. She holds a masters degree in herbalism from Arbor Vitae School of Traditional Herbalism. She is the face behind Eclipta Herbal which has been the umbrella under which she runs, her clinical practice, herbal classes & half acre herb farm. She is particularly interested in accepting & integrating the virtues of plant intelligence as a solution to climate change that positively restructures our relationship with the environment; one that is rooted in place-based identity which works to reestablish reciprocity, respect & responsibility for our non-human kin. Her clinical practice is centered around continuing the vibrancy of the peoples medicine that utilizes nutritional therapeutics & the contemporary practices of European, Chinese & Ayurvedic medical traditions. Her other classes include the Herbal Compass: Navigating Healing Throughout the Calendar Wheel, Kitchen Medicine, The Invasive Apothecary, Rising Rooted: Kin-centic Ecology & Plant ID, Herbal Therapeutics for Auto-immune & Herbal Therapeutics for Lyme Disease. Find out more at: https://ecliptaherbal.com/ or follow Alyssa @ecliptaherbal.

Holly Dunbar
Electuaries: Sweet Medicine Making!- Electuaries are a honey-based medicine mixed with powdered herbs. This method is quick and easy to make, provides a gentle medium for fussy herb takers, and tastes delicious! We will focus on digestive herbs for this class, and have an array of powdered herbs to choose from to make a custom digestive blend specific to your needs.
Holly Dunbar is the owner and practitioner of New Moon Bodywork & Botanicals, with over 26 years experience in holistic medicine.
Electuaries: Sweet Medicine Making!- Electuaries are a honey-based medicine mixed with powdered herbs. This method is quick and easy to make, provides a gentle medium for fussy herb takers, and tastes delicious! We will focus on digestive herbs for this class, and have an array of powdered herbs to choose from to make a custom digestive blend specific to your needs.
Holly Dunbar is the owner and practitioner of New Moon Bodywork & Botanicals, with over 26 years experience in holistic medicine.

Leslie Greene
Birthwork as Resistence- The statistics around birth in the US are alarming and are rooted in patriarchy and white supremacy. Learn how supporting birthing people and families can help relieve the crisis in US maternal health care from a birth and postpartum doula.
Birthwork as Resistence- The statistics around birth in the US are alarming and are rooted in patriarchy and white supremacy. Learn how supporting birthing people and families can help relieve the crisis in US maternal health care from a birth and postpartum doula.

Imani Harmon
Simple Astrological Magic for Herbalists, Gardners, and Farmers- This class will cover:
1. The agricultural roots of astrology 2. Planetary relationships to different parts of the growing cycle
3. Importance of the Moon in astrological magic 4. Ways to incorporate astrological magic into various stages of the growing and preparation of plant medicines This workshop will provide list of astrological elections for attendees to use and parameters for using them. Minimal astrological knowledge is needed to participate in this workshop.
I am an Afrofuturist astrologer, tarot reader, and worldbuilder. My astrological focus is exploring astrology as a tool for fugitivity and marronage. Some of my past work has included: presenting “Embodying the Faces of the Moon” for the 6th Annual Black QTNB Healing Circle, presenting “Astrological Technology for Marronage and Fugitivity: the Wisdom of the 6th and 12th House“ for Black Womxn Time Camp 004, contributing to The Town Hall (NYC)’s “A Blue Moon Halloween: Sun Ra and The Comet Kohoutek with Marshall Allen and Prof. John Szwed” and served as a contributing writer to Taxonomy Press’ “Tarot Manifest” in Fall 2020 and Fall 2021. I publish a bi-monthly astrology newsletter that focuses on lunations. I have been self-taught since 2014 and studied under astrologer Sam Reynolds.
Simple Astrological Magic for Herbalists, Gardners, and Farmers- This class will cover:
1. The agricultural roots of astrology 2. Planetary relationships to different parts of the growing cycle
3. Importance of the Moon in astrological magic 4. Ways to incorporate astrological magic into various stages of the growing and preparation of plant medicines This workshop will provide list of astrological elections for attendees to use and parameters for using them. Minimal astrological knowledge is needed to participate in this workshop.
I am an Afrofuturist astrologer, tarot reader, and worldbuilder. My astrological focus is exploring astrology as a tool for fugitivity and marronage. Some of my past work has included: presenting “Embodying the Faces of the Moon” for the 6th Annual Black QTNB Healing Circle, presenting “Astrological Technology for Marronage and Fugitivity: the Wisdom of the 6th and 12th House“ for Black Womxn Time Camp 004, contributing to The Town Hall (NYC)’s “A Blue Moon Halloween: Sun Ra and The Comet Kohoutek with Marshall Allen and Prof. John Szwed” and served as a contributing writer to Taxonomy Press’ “Tarot Manifest” in Fall 2020 and Fall 2021. I publish a bi-monthly astrology newsletter that focuses on lunations. I have been self-taught since 2014 and studied under astrologer Sam Reynolds.

Kenyetta Hayes
Good Morning Breathing and Movement- Mindful start to your morning with gratitude, breathing and movement. Starts out with deep breathing to fill the lungs and get oxygen flowing. Moves into a yoga Sun salutation. To show gratitude for another day. Lastly gentle movement that increases as much as the partaker wants. Provides the ease into activity for the day. Gets blood flowing.
I've been passionate about supporting wellness for over 15 years. But first I have to let you all know I am the mom of an awesome kid. Due to health issues early on in his life is what led me down the path to where I learned, the hard way of course, that holistic living and using natural handmade products is not the easiest but the better way to go. I am now an integrative holistic wellness practitioner. What does that mean? It means I find (not only for myself) creative ways to help people find a balance and incorporate mind, body and spirit into everything they do. Simply put, to live a life as a whole person. I specialize in massage therapy. I have been a licensed therapist for over 11 years. I am also an herbalist and educator. My focus is to use methods that people can continue to use in their daily lives with ease. I help people feel their best, reduce stress, and support healing. I have studied and worked with natural physical therapist, chiropractors, surgeons, fitness instructors and health care providers during my career. And through teaching at massage therapy schools, private classes, conferences, and community colleges, I have fed my passion for helping people. I have had the opportunity to work alongside and with Chiropractors, athletes from WWE, NFL's college combine workshops, local high school teams and individual athletes. I also hold Certifications in various energetic modalities. Some of my favorite groups to work are Prenatal, postpartum and pediatrics. During covid I had to become creative and find a way to maintain some type of income. So my Shop was created. This is where I held online and outdoor classes and sold supplies that people could use to help reduce stress without Massage. Crystals, Herbal teas, candles, salt baths etc Some other certifications are aromatherapy, Sound meditation using crystal bowls, Reiki, Chakra energy healing and last but not least crystal therapy.
Good Morning Breathing and Movement- Mindful start to your morning with gratitude, breathing and movement. Starts out with deep breathing to fill the lungs and get oxygen flowing. Moves into a yoga Sun salutation. To show gratitude for another day. Lastly gentle movement that increases as much as the partaker wants. Provides the ease into activity for the day. Gets blood flowing.
I've been passionate about supporting wellness for over 15 years. But first I have to let you all know I am the mom of an awesome kid. Due to health issues early on in his life is what led me down the path to where I learned, the hard way of course, that holistic living and using natural handmade products is not the easiest but the better way to go. I am now an integrative holistic wellness practitioner. What does that mean? It means I find (not only for myself) creative ways to help people find a balance and incorporate mind, body and spirit into everything they do. Simply put, to live a life as a whole person. I specialize in massage therapy. I have been a licensed therapist for over 11 years. I am also an herbalist and educator. My focus is to use methods that people can continue to use in their daily lives with ease. I help people feel their best, reduce stress, and support healing. I have studied and worked with natural physical therapist, chiropractors, surgeons, fitness instructors and health care providers during my career. And through teaching at massage therapy schools, private classes, conferences, and community colleges, I have fed my passion for helping people. I have had the opportunity to work alongside and with Chiropractors, athletes from WWE, NFL's college combine workshops, local high school teams and individual athletes. I also hold Certifications in various energetic modalities. Some of my favorite groups to work are Prenatal, postpartum and pediatrics. During covid I had to become creative and find a way to maintain some type of income. So my Shop was created. This is where I held online and outdoor classes and sold supplies that people could use to help reduce stress without Massage. Crystals, Herbal teas, candles, salt baths etc Some other certifications are aromatherapy, Sound meditation using crystal bowls, Reiki, Chakra energy healing and last but not least crystal therapy.

Tania Johnson-Hester
Preserving Summer's Harvest: Chili Pepper Cooking Bases- Chilli Peppers have been a part of cooking bases for many communities for generations. As home gardening continues to regain popularity, we want to keep pepper recipes alive. In this class we will discuss recipes to enjoy the flavors of peppers throughout the fall and winter. We will discuss how to make a green seasoning (sofrito), hot sauce (pique) BBQ sauce, and seasoning blends to enjoy the flavors of chilies throughout the winter. This class will be a tasting class with recipe cards, and you’ll leave with the skills to make your own family recipes at home. Some peppers we’ll be working with are fish, aji dulce, buena mulata, jalapeno, cubanelle, poblano, cayenne and scotch bonnet.
My name is Tania “Nia” Hester. My pronouns are she/her/hers. I am originally from Washington, DC and am currently finishing up my B.A Religion, Culture, and Public Life. I have combined my study of religion with agriculture. I have been fortunate enough to work and visit farms rooted in spiritual practices. I have been a “landless,” farmer for about three years. I have worked on urban and rural farms, and my dream is to one day have the financial access to manage my own farm rooted in addressing food apartheid and climate change. Want to learn how to grow food in small and large, spaces, I am your girl!
Preserving Summer's Harvest: Chili Pepper Cooking Bases- Chilli Peppers have been a part of cooking bases for many communities for generations. As home gardening continues to regain popularity, we want to keep pepper recipes alive. In this class we will discuss recipes to enjoy the flavors of peppers throughout the fall and winter. We will discuss how to make a green seasoning (sofrito), hot sauce (pique) BBQ sauce, and seasoning blends to enjoy the flavors of chilies throughout the winter. This class will be a tasting class with recipe cards, and you’ll leave with the skills to make your own family recipes at home. Some peppers we’ll be working with are fish, aji dulce, buena mulata, jalapeno, cubanelle, poblano, cayenne and scotch bonnet.
My name is Tania “Nia” Hester. My pronouns are she/her/hers. I am originally from Washington, DC and am currently finishing up my B.A Religion, Culture, and Public Life. I have combined my study of religion with agriculture. I have been fortunate enough to work and visit farms rooted in spiritual practices. I have been a “landless,” farmer for about three years. I have worked on urban and rural farms, and my dream is to one day have the financial access to manage my own farm rooted in addressing food apartheid and climate change. Want to learn how to grow food in small and large, spaces, I am your girl!

Madison McCoy
Flower Essences for Parents & Kids- Introduction to flower essences: Discover the magic of flower essences and how they can support our emotions and overall well-being. Fun and interactive activities: Engage in games, stories, and creative exercises that introduce flower essences in a playful and enjoyable way for both parents and kids. Nurturing emotional well-being: Learn about specific flower essences that help with common childhood emotions like fear, sadness, anger, and stress, empowering parents and kids to navigate these emotions with greater ease. Strengthening parent-child connection: Explore flower essences that promote communication, understanding, and deeper connections between parents and their little ones. Practical applications: Gain insights into how to incorporate flower essences into your daily routines, including dosage recommendations, creating personalized blends, and integrating them into your family's self-care practices.
Madison McCoy is a conflict practitioner, budding herbalist, youth educator and student of the messy and miraculous. She is the founder of Earth and Sea, tasked with the mission of building a more equitable world by equipping individuals with generative conflict tools, deep self awareness, and a reverence for the earth. Madison is a certified Personal Transformation Facilitator, Gallup Strengths Facilitator, oracle card reader, mindfulness teacher and holds a degree in Community Conflict Transformation from George Mason University. She uses a whole self, energetic, and trauma informed approach to guide individuals in accessing their own deep well of healing, transformation, and imaginative power. Herbs, nature, and essences are foundational allys in her work. She currently lives on a farm outside of DC with her partner and two tortoises. On a Saturday afternoon you can find her reading with fairies in the garden or sipping tea with her sisters.
You can find her on Instagram @ofearthandsea_
Flower Essences for Parents & Kids- Introduction to flower essences: Discover the magic of flower essences and how they can support our emotions and overall well-being. Fun and interactive activities: Engage in games, stories, and creative exercises that introduce flower essences in a playful and enjoyable way for both parents and kids. Nurturing emotional well-being: Learn about specific flower essences that help with common childhood emotions like fear, sadness, anger, and stress, empowering parents and kids to navigate these emotions with greater ease. Strengthening parent-child connection: Explore flower essences that promote communication, understanding, and deeper connections between parents and their little ones. Practical applications: Gain insights into how to incorporate flower essences into your daily routines, including dosage recommendations, creating personalized blends, and integrating them into your family's self-care practices.
Madison McCoy is a conflict practitioner, budding herbalist, youth educator and student of the messy and miraculous. She is the founder of Earth and Sea, tasked with the mission of building a more equitable world by equipping individuals with generative conflict tools, deep self awareness, and a reverence for the earth. Madison is a certified Personal Transformation Facilitator, Gallup Strengths Facilitator, oracle card reader, mindfulness teacher and holds a degree in Community Conflict Transformation from George Mason University. She uses a whole self, energetic, and trauma informed approach to guide individuals in accessing their own deep well of healing, transformation, and imaginative power. Herbs, nature, and essences are foundational allys in her work. She currently lives on a farm outside of DC with her partner and two tortoises. On a Saturday afternoon you can find her reading with fairies in the garden or sipping tea with her sisters.
You can find her on Instagram @ofearthandsea_

Holly Poole-Kavana
Plant Walk- Let's talk botany! We'll explore the plants around Wild Ginger, focusing on which characteristics to look for in order to ID wild and cultivated plants. Particular attention will be paid to identifying some of the most important medicinal plant families and what we can infer about a plant's medicine based on its family.
Holly Poole-Kavana practices as a clinical herbalist, grower, and medicine-maker in Washington DC, where her priorities are connecting people to local plants and incorporating an anti-oppression framework into herbalism. She holds a BS in botany from Cornell University and studied herbalism with Adam Seller, 7song, and Sacred Plant Traditions before starting a clinical practice in 2011 under the name Little Red Bird Botancals. Holly also works as a midwife's assistant in the DC metro area.
Plant Walk- Let's talk botany! We'll explore the plants around Wild Ginger, focusing on which characteristics to look for in order to ID wild and cultivated plants. Particular attention will be paid to identifying some of the most important medicinal plant families and what we can infer about a plant's medicine based on its family.
Holly Poole-Kavana practices as a clinical herbalist, grower, and medicine-maker in Washington DC, where her priorities are connecting people to local plants and incorporating an anti-oppression framework into herbalism. She holds a BS in botany from Cornell University and studied herbalism with Adam Seller, 7song, and Sacred Plant Traditions before starting a clinical practice in 2011 under the name Little Red Bird Botancals. Holly also works as a midwife's assistant in the DC metro area.

Brandon Ruiz
Tropical Herbal Medicine Making- In this class, we'll be discussing some popular tropical herbal medicines and their uses, backgrounds and how to prepare them into traditional preparations for healing and wellness. We will be making a traditional Puerto Rican Alcoholado, as well as a powerful fermentation for overall wellness.
Brandon Ruiz is a Community Herbalist and Urban Farmer based in Charlotte, NC. His farming project Yucayeke Farms focuses on providing equal and affordable access to herbal medicine and culturally-relevant foods to his community. He specializes in medicines of his native Puerto Rico, throughout the Caribbean and Appalachia.
Tropical Herbal Medicine Making- In this class, we'll be discussing some popular tropical herbal medicines and their uses, backgrounds and how to prepare them into traditional preparations for healing and wellness. We will be making a traditional Puerto Rican Alcoholado, as well as a powerful fermentation for overall wellness.
Brandon Ruiz is a Community Herbalist and Urban Farmer based in Charlotte, NC. His farming project Yucayeke Farms focuses on providing equal and affordable access to herbal medicine and culturally-relevant foods to his community. He specializes in medicines of his native Puerto Rico, throughout the Caribbean and Appalachia.

Taína Vargas-Sosa
Kitchen Medicine: Fire Cider & Vinegar Tonics- Explore the immune-boosting properties of culinary herbs and learn to craft your own spicy apple cider vinegar tonic to support your health during the cold/flu season.
Taína Vargas-Sosa is a mother, artist, educator, herbalist in training, community gardener, and budding forager. She is the founder of Sankofa Anacaona Botanicals, a traveling apothecary centered around deep love and respect for plant medicine and a commitment to holistic health and wellness. Taína has roots in the Dominican Republic and is currently based in Roxbury.
Kitchen Medicine: Fire Cider & Vinegar Tonics- Explore the immune-boosting properties of culinary herbs and learn to craft your own spicy apple cider vinegar tonic to support your health during the cold/flu season.
Taína Vargas-Sosa is a mother, artist, educator, herbalist in training, community gardener, and budding forager. She is the founder of Sankofa Anacaona Botanicals, a traveling apothecary centered around deep love and respect for plant medicine and a commitment to holistic health and wellness. Taína has roots in the Dominican Republic and is currently based in Roxbury.

Debby Ward
Herb Garden Design Workshop-Be it culinary or medicinal herbs you prefer to grow, this workshop will get those creative juices flowing to design a sustainable, diverse, and beautiful herb garden, new herb bed, or herbal container garden. We’ll illuminate themes, colors and companions. You’ll get ideas and tips for growing your herbs and time for Q&A. Bring your note or sketch book to start designing with Debby’s simple 5 step process.
Herb Garden Design Workshop-Be it culinary or medicinal herbs you prefer to grow, this workshop will get those creative juices flowing to design a sustainable, diverse, and beautiful herb garden, new herb bed, or herbal container garden. We’ll illuminate themes, colors and companions. You’ll get ideas and tips for growing your herbs and time for Q&A. Bring your note or sketch book to start designing with Debby’s simple 5 step process.